Irish plumber meets MUHAMMAD ALI after knocking on his door in Louisville

For years it was just a pipe dream, but Irish plumber Tony Kelly finally met his hero, boxing legend Muhammad Ali – after knocking on his front door.

Kelly, 24, originally from Greencastle, Co Donegal, was on a call out in his new home of Louisville, Kentucky, when his American workmates told him that Ali lived just a few yards away on the opposite side of the street.

The young plumber was convinced it was a joke, but is such a huge fan of the boxer – nicknamed The Greatest – that he walked across the road and knocked on the door, keen to absolutely rule out Ali being a resident.

Scroll down for video

Left floating like a butterfly: Tony Kelly with his hero Muhammad Ali in the boxer's Louisville home

To Kelly’s utter amazement, Ali’s wife, Yolanda, answered the door and invited him in to meet the sportsman and help him celebrate his 72nd birthday.

A gobsmacked Kelly - who moved in 2012 to Louisville, as it’s the home city of his American wife, Megan - had his picture taken with his hero and told The Irish Independent just how astonished he was.

He said: ‘I knocked on the door and Ali's wife Yolanda answered and I just asked would be possible for one of his greatest fans from Ireland to meet him.

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot create polls in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum